Sting On Green Street Leads To 17 Drug Arrests

October 07, 2005|By STEPHANIE REITZ; Courant Staff Writer

Fifteen people who thought they were buying drugs from street-level dealers Wednesday ended up in handcuffs, arrested by undercover Hartford officers who had nabbed the would-be dealers and then posed in their place.

Officers conducted the reverse sting at 59 Green St. after receiving complaints from members of the community that the area had turned into the equivalent of an open-air drug market, police spokeswoman Nancy Mulroy said.

After conducting surveillance in the area, officers moved in around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and arrested two people on charges of possessing and attempting to sell drugs, Mulroy said.

Then, for the next four hours, undercover officers remained in the area and arrested 15 people who approached them in hopes of buying narcotics, she said. Three of those potential buyers came from outside Hartford, from Torrington, Storrs and Vernon.

In addition to arresting two alleged drug dealers and 15 potential buyers, police seized six cars that can be auctioned -- if the suspects are convicted -- to benefit the department's drug prevention efforts.

The two alleged dealers, Steve Granger and Luther Nance, both 20, were charged with possession of narcotics, possession with intent to sell, and sale of narcotics within 1,500 feet of a school, police said.

Granger is from 346 Enfield St., and Nance is from 38 Bedford St., police said.

The following people were arrested on charges of criminal attempt to possess narcotics:

Also: Raymond Smith, 31, of 261 Martin St., Hartford; Kathleen Walton, 47, of 116 Mather St., Hartford; Crystal Green, 42, who has no certain address; Carlos Asencio, 55, of 302 Mary Shepard Place, Hartford, who also was wanted on a warrant charging him with assault; and Percy Franklin, 51, of 102 Mather St., Hartford, who also was wanted on a warrant charging him with disorderly conduct and assault.

One person, Andrea Johnson, 39, of 20 Mortson St., Hartford, was charged with possession of narcotics, tampering with evidence and interfering with police.

Another person, Mark Anthony Scott, 42, of 580 Albany Ave., Hartford, was charged with interfering with police, but does not face any drug charges.